The Scope of your Managed Content Service
Though Managed Content Services are often set up around a single tool, such as a DAM or a PIM, they’re most effective when they stretch across an entire content ecosystem, which allows the collective intelligence to be applied consistently and universally.
For example, metadata and taxonomy are not just for one system - rather, they should be employed as an institutional tool. There’s often little understanding of the upstream and downstream ramifications of data, until something goes wrong. The same MCS team working across your ecosystem not only improves data quality, but enables more end-to-end automation.
Consistency in data across all technology in an ecosystem also keeps the bigger picture on the quality at the end point, and the ability to improve data quality for reporting. From product creation to Ecommerce and digital shelf, ensuring that the end retail point is what it should be has a direct impact on topline revenue. The MCS team and process also act as your risk mitigation strategy, compensating for whatever the technology’s shortcomings may be along the way.
“Much of what we do is about traceability across multiple systems,” points out Jacquelina Polites, Global Operations Manager with ICP, working with Coty. “We identify if assets are misused, ensuring the data is where it needs to be. We make sure where there’s rights expired, it isn’t available for use. We set up models, look at where brand or agency teams falter, and simplify through standardization. Automation and AI models need support with a human eye, someone with good judgment and brand knowledge.”
Scott Reno, who leads ICP’s MCS team for L’Oréal, points out that intelligent automation requires “a lot of un-sexy data work behind the scenes” and “aligning the right data at the source, ensuring all information flows correctly across your entire tech-stack”. It’s only consistency in the creation and management of content and assets that can enable automation downstream - so there must be a 30,000 foot view of the whole content ecosystem, end to end.
